MG&A Blog

Oftentimes, we come across information that’s mind expanding and even mind blowing. We share these thought provoking insights with each other around the office and from time to time want to share them with you. Look for our posts every so often and feel free to share your thoughts.

And there is more to come in 2018! We continue to invest significantly in our office space, technology and people to serve you more comfortably, efficiently and professionally. In fact, we have recently expanded our wealth management advisory team by hiring two incredibly talented professionals.

Kimberly Shapiro, originally from the UK, has been a MG&A client for over 10 years. She has an extensive business background as well as senior management experience with a major insurance company in Florida. Having worked with her for nearly a decade, I always relished the opportunity to have her on our wealth management team and now we do! Her unique combination of skills, work experience and client experience will be a tremendous asset.

Karina Hinkelmann,a triple citizen (US, Brazil, and Italy) has been in the financial field since 2011 assisting clients with achieving their financial goals while managing their entire relationship. After spending the past 6 years on Private Client Teams with 2 major global banking institutions, she has quickly become an integral part of MG&A. She personifies the integrity and ethics that we are known for, and has extensive experience helping international clients as she is fluent in English and Portuguese and conversational in Italian.

We continue to strategically hire advisors with different backgrounds and experiences to give you access to a very diverse pool of expertise. This is a huge advantage to clients because we interact with you via a team approach where “all of us are smarter than one of us!” This is true now more than ever. So please join us in welcoming Kimberly and Karina to MG&A. They are excited to bring their unique perspectives to our solutions and capabilities.

Please accept our warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year!

This is a mania no doubt and a setback is sure to come. Like a Gold Rush, people are confusing upward price moves as validation and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. We’ve seen this one before and we know how this ends. Please be careful!!! When speculative manias like this occur, Warren Buffet comes to mind “…we should be fearful when others are greedy…” If that doesn’t do it for you, how about Vanguard’s Founder Jack Bogle who sounded a direct warning this week, “Avoid bitcoin like the plague!”[i]

Bitcoin is fascinating and creates many interesting possibilities (learn more: 10 Important Facts On Bitcoin). However, buying them today at these prices is pure speculation and not an investment nor a sensible currency purchase. Investments need to have an underlying tangible value, and a currency needs price stability. Bitcoin currently offers neither. It's way too volatile to conduct the simplest of transactions; can you imagine how expensive a visit to my barber could get in the 30 minutes it takes to finish my haircut?

Digital currencies like bitcoin are more fitting for something like the cannabis market in the US as it struggles for federal legalization. Since the federal banking system is off limits for state-approved cannabis businesses, bitcoin may provide the necessary cloak to keep the Feds away. However, I doubt you want to buy bitcoins as a long term investment or for your grandchildren’s college education fund.

Blockchainis the real story behind bitcoin. It solved the problem early versions of digital currencies had with double counting or counterfeiting by using a formula-based validation, identification and tracking system used by “miners” to confirm transactions. It is this unique blockchain technology that could change how we do numerous things like stock trades, online voting, renting cars, notarizing documents and storing health care records.[ii]

Digital currencies have a big future in online commerce; in fact someday we may have Fedcoins backed by the US Government (bitcoin won’t like that!). But these currencies are just one of many potential blockbusters to come from blockchain. So if the temptation to dive head first into bitcoin is becoming a bit much, take solace in the fact that companies all over the world are researching how blockchain can enhance their products and services. And while we may not be investing your assets directly into bitcoin, its very existence may be the key to significant innovation in companies you already own.

Finally, when it doubt, I suggest you refer to Meg Green’s Rules of The Money Game, Rule # 10, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Cyber security breaches have been flaring up globally impacting elections, major corporations, foreign governments and even national security organizations. The message is loud and clear. Hackers are thriving at the expense of millions of innocent hard working people. We all need to be aware of this and look for ways to protect ourselves better.

Rest assured that at MG&A we operate in an advanced and highly secure technological environment. Features such as redundancy, data encryption, virus protection, cyber security protection and 24-hour system monitoring are integral components to not only our technology infrastructure but also our wealth management process. That's right! We believe protecting your wealth isn't just about a well-diversified portfolio, but also includes a well-fortified defense around your data, information, and identity.

What about you? How secure is your technology? Statistically speaking, 70% of you will read this blog post through a mobile device. Not surprisingly, tablets and cellphones have become the treasure trove to hackers. Why? YOU make it too easy for them... unknowingly of course. Even a locked iPhone can give hackers very damaging information about you.

We're here to help! Below are two links containing easy to follow instructions to protect yourself by securing your mobile devices and reducing your vulnerability to hackers. There are separate procedures for iPhone users and Android devotees (courtesy of JP Morgan).

Please share this with family and friends so we can collectively dial down the unnecessary surveillance in our lives. Protecting our identity, security and family are far more important than Siri reminding us to pick up the dry cleaning every Wednesday. Really?! Take a hike Siri...I know you’re listening!

It's nice to be able to learn some lessons from someone whose "been there and done that". Being 90 qualifies. Sometimes, learning lessons on our own can be painful or challenging. Hope this sets you up to avoid a few pitfalls along the way. Enjoy.

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:”

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short ? enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it?s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

There's been talk forever of people, towards the end of their lives, dreaming or "seeing" people who have passed.

Todd had the experience with both his Mother and his Father, who died so recently. My Mother saw the rabbi's wife from 45 years ago when she was in her last day. When I asked her why was she seeing Mrs Livitsky, of all people, she smiled, shrugged her shoulders and said, "Because she's there."

So whether you believe or not, here's a compelling Ted Talk from someone who's been there to see what goes on many, many times. Enjoy

The New York times followed six New Yorkers age 85 and older throughout the year. The attitudes of the people they followed were a mixture of happiness and sadness, with less time wasted on anger and worry. Do you ever wonder what you want to do when you get old? Here are some interesting perspectives....http://nyti.ms/1QLWp4n

Here's a short blog with a very powerful punch, something really important to step back and consider. If you're short on time, then skip to the three takeaways at the end, but do take a moment to delve into the thought. Who knows...it may change your life in a very good way. It definitely rattled my cage!

The Tail End By Tim Urban

As we go into the holiday season, I couldn't say it any better than one of my advisors...enjoy his thoughts below. We should be grateful for everything we have.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Todd

"As the year is winding down, I wanted to go outside the "norm" by taking a moment to discuss gratitude and how practicing it can lead to better outcomes for you and your business.

This month more than any other, I find myself reflecting over the past year by looking at ways that practicing gratitude has served me well. To me, gratitude is an action, and I have tried to apply it daily over the past year.

For me, when I practice gratitude, it is nearly impossible to get upset or stressed out. This leads to the ability to make more productive decisions!

So, gratitude is about the application of it in your life which will lead to successful outcomes.

If you apply and practice gratitude in a few simple areas of daily life, it will give you a different perspective, a "new set of glasses" per se, that allows you to be more upbeat, kind, and genuine to everyone you encounter each day. After all, more success is achieved when we genuinely and actively seek to help others succeed.

Here are three basic areas in which you can practice gratitude daily:

1) Be kind to your health/body:

This is basic stuff, but very important. Try to eat foods that will nourish your body instead of attacking it. Try to get enough sleep, and slow down if life is getting too hectic. Taking good care of your body gives you all the energy you need to deal with the demands of the day. A healthy body equals a healthy mind, and a healthy mind produces results.

2) Seek out the positive in ANY situation:

It's easy to practice gratitude when things are going well. But, how about when disappointment or unexpected occurrences strike? When this happens, because it will, ask yourself:

"What can I learn from this experience?", and "Can I apply the knowledge that I have now after going through this to help anyone else?"

After reflecting, take action! If you've learned something from a negative experience, and can help someone else with the knowledge learned from that experience, then it automatically turns the "negative" into a "positive". It's a win, win!

3) Be kind and respectful to everyone:

This can be tough. You aren't ever going to "like" everyone. You may actually strongly dislike someone. You can still practice kindness by trying to put yourself in the other's person's shoes. This brings tolerance which then allows you to be sincerely kind through respecting the other person's position. This kind of attitude breeds mutual respect which will help form a productive and working relationship geared towards success no matter if you "like" them or not!

True gratitude is much more than a state of being. It is a way of living. And, it is a seed for future prosperity.

In closing, we would like to sincerely thank you for your support and for being a friend of our agency. We appreciate your like-minded commitment to success and dedication to excellence and are looking forward to building our relationship even more in the future!"

I don't know about you, but I'm just now waking up to the AI revolution...that's Artificial Intelligence, for those of you, like me, who have been ignoring the subject. If you read nothing else about it, you must read this two part piece. This is our future, whether we want to embrace it or not, so you might as well take a peek at what's coming. This is not Science Fiction. It's the real deal.

Then watch the movie Ex Machina to see how it can play out...not in the most friendly of ways. :-) Here's the Wait But Why blog. Make time.....it's not short, but it's worthy!